Changes in technology, economics and employee mobility are upending the long-accepted rules of the workplace. The traditional, hierarchy-based office environment is disappearing. In its place: open, flexible and technology-rich spaces designed to inspire today’s increasingly mobile knowledge workers.
Technology publishing giant IDG reports that 75 percent of us use mobile technology at home to conduct tasks previously done in the office. Research by Gartner Dataquest shows at least 12 million employees work outside the office for eight hours or more per week, up from 6 million remote workers a few years ago.
While presenting a challenge for front-line managers, these changes offer an opportunity to re-imagine the office environment as a productivity hub, and in turn provide an ideal path to reduce real estate cost. Designing efficient, greener and more flexible spaces yields tangible benefits for all, including better utilization of space, improved staff satisfaction and long-term savings.
Inside the office, employers are replacing the conventional layout of private offices and rows of workstations with a variety of spaces designed to match the way employees prefer to work. The old Dilbert-style cubicle is disappearing, replaced by a smaller and more efficient personal work area. Shorter panels make it easier to interact with colleagues and to benefit from natural light.
Collaboration space – designed for working teams – is accessible and adaptable. These spaces foster creativity by providing white boards, videoconferencing and tactile tools for sketching new ideas. Shared multipurpose workstations provide a home for employees who work off-site part of the time.
Café and impromptu meeting places are designed to allow two to three people to quickly gather, fire up a laptop or iPad, and solve a problem together. These comfortable nooks are like having an in-house Starbucks, and provide an in-house setting for any employee needing a change of scenery to write, reflect and create.
The increase in remote workers, combined with a productive, efficient office environment, translates in most cases to employers requiring less square feet. A smaller office footprint means lower rents, less energy consumption and lower operations and maintenance costs. Some employers are consolidating from multiple locations to a single hub, eliminating redundancies and experiencing more collaboration.
Reaching creative solutions to space planning and workplace efficiency requires a strategy. Here are four steps to develop a flexible, more productive workplace where long-term savings can be realized:
Establish a Realistic Baseline. Most employers believe their utilization of existing space is much higher than it truly is. A thorough evaluation of space needs, not a spreadsheet exercise, will yield a reliable model for planning. Remote and mobile workers, part-time employees, projections for outsourcing and estimates on future employment levels are all key to gaining an accurate picture.
Rethink What You Need. The economic upheaval presents an opportunity for employers to be strategic about the ways of doing business. Would a dining and cooking space contribute to collaboration, productivity and good health? Can you eliminate the majority of the paper files you keep in the work space? Do you need printers on every desk? A detailed employee survey will reveal unexpected opportunities and ideas for additional savings, flexibility and functionality.
Use a Pilot Program to Test and Perfect Changes. Before implementing new workplace strategies across the entire company, consider starting where the opportunity is greatest. Which group is most ready to adapt, based on their use of technology, number of mobile workers or need for closer collaboration?
Integrate New Technology and Best Practices. A well-designed lighting, climate control and automated room control system will deliver impressive savings per square foot. Use of automated scheduling systems for meeting rooms and shared spaces can tie the entire use and occupancy program together, and can extend to audiovisual equipment and vehicle use. Benchmark your plans by learning how other companies are integrating new technologies and practices.
Investing in an inspired office environment will prove valuable beyond productivity and cost efficiency. An engaging, healthy and innovative workplace provides employees a great place to come to work each day.
Marie E. Fitzgerald leads the corporate and technology group at SMMA in Cambridge. Email: mfitzgerald@smma.com
